Stalled train causes traffic backup after school at Roseville High School

Daniel A. WetterRoseville Police officer Todd Lynn directs after-school traffic on Yosemite Street after a train stalled on the tracks just outside of Roseville High School.

Roseville High School students experienced traffic delays of up to 40 minutes Wednesday after a train was stalled on the track just as the school got out at 2:30 p.m.
“It took me 40 minutes to get home,” Roseville student Jacob Priley said. “It was terrible.”
Priley, along with other Roseville High students, had to change his normal route home after a Union Pacific train was stopped on the track because of a mechanical problem.
Priley’s normal trek home usually takes five to 10 minutes according to the senior.
“I was really frustrated,” he said. “My question is, why don't they understand the traffic pattern enough to use the rail during school hours, not when people are trying to leave (school)?”
According to Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt, these types of breakdowns are rare for this area.
“In terms of blocked crossings, it’s something we try to avoid,” Hunt said.
The train blocked the two key crossings of Tiger Way and Yosemite Street — important for those heading toward east Roseville — for approximately 45 minutes.
Another student, Brandon Yee, was also frustrated by the obstacle.
“I normally get picked up at the corner of Tiger Way and Campo Street, but since the train was stuck, I had to walk all the way from there to the entrance of the graveyard,” Yee said.
Yee’s detour took him 15 to 20 minutes.
Hunt said Roseville has had a fairly good record for avoiding these problems, noting the size of the rail yard.
“We’re constantly operating trains,” Hunt said. “And the rail yard here in Roseville is the largest one of its kind on the west coast United States.”
The train, which had a faulty hose, was repaired on the scene by a maintenance crew, Hunt said.